This disclosure concerns improved medical care for intubated patients, and more particularly to a novel suction catheter for aspiration of mucous and other fluids and secretions from at least a portion of a patient's respiratory tract, namely, the tracheobronchial passages. More particularly, this disclosure relates to suction catheters having improved tip structures which allow for more efficient suctioning of the tracheobronchial passages, while reducing the likelihood of trauma thereto during the suctioning procedure.
Suction catheters have historically consisted of a flexible plastic tube having a lumen formed in the center. They usually have had a beveled distal end or tip with an opening formed in the end which is in axial alignment with the lumen of the catheter. The proximal end of the catheter is configured to connect to a source of vacuum. A few additional openings may be provided adjacent the distal end of a suction catheter to increase its suctioning capability. These designs have continued to present problems.
When few openings are provided adjacent the distal end, they can easily become clogged when high viscosity secretions are suctioned. When the openings become completely or partially clogged, the suction force is increased at the larger, central opening at the end of the distal tip. The increased suction at the distal tip opening can result in trauma to the delicate tissue of the tracheobronchial passages if tissue of these passages is pulled against the tip during suctioning.
As a result, suction catheters with a number of openings near the distal tip have been provided to alleviate this problem. The plurality of openings may, unfortunately, act more like strainers, resulting in multiple blockages, ultimately resulting in the same traumatic damage to the tissues previously noted. It has also been found that a large number of openings near the distal tip of the catheter weakens the structure near the distal tip. This results in the catheter tip buckling and folding over on itself, making suctioning ineffective or impossible to perform due the structural failure of the tip of the suction catheter.
Alternatively, if a suction catheter is stiff and has only a few openings at or near the distal tip, the suction catheter may cause trauma upon impact with the delicate tracheobronchial tissue like that of the carina (the downward and backward projection of the last tracheal cartilage, which forms a ridge that separates the opening of the right and left main stem bronchi). This type of catheter can be advanced only with great caution by the health care provider, and may be ineffective at suctioning since it may be inserted a shorter distance into the respiratory tract of the intubated patient. There is great concern among health care providers about catheter insertion injuries even if the suction catheters are formed of more flexible materials,
There remains a need for a suction catheter which effectively suctions both lower and higher highly viscosity secretions and which does not become easily blocked by such secretions. There is a need for a suction catheter which has a sufficient number of openings in and around the distal tip of the suction catheter that do not become blocked and which do not compromise the structure of the catheter. There is a need for a distal tip of a suction catheter which greatly reduces trauma due to impact against the delicate tracheobronchial tissue when suctioning.